An art-form dating back to Egyptian mummies from 2000 BC, the tattoo
has evolved extensively throughout the many cultures of the world. What
started as tribal identification, tats have been used for years to
express everything from religious beliefs to commemorating lost loved
ones. They can
most often be described as a permanent reminder of a temporary emotion.
One of the world’s oldest forms of expression, tattoos have made their
way through societies from sailing harbors to prison yards and playing
fields to red carpets and concert arenas to…yes, even the horse show
arena.
GoHorseShow.com has collected several tattoo samplings
from some of the horse show industry’s leading exhibitors. Whatever the
significance, each and every one of these tats has its own story.
Some of the stories are horse-related and some are not. Some of the ink
is prominently displayed and some is hidden. Regardless of their
meanings and locations, each of these horse show tattoos is very unique
to the person attached to it.
GoHorseShow.com readers took a guess and logged their answers at the bottom of the story. See if they got any of them correct!
#1 – This tattoo belongs to an owner who has had incredible success with Invitation Only offspring, most recently in the Reichert big money class. It was designed in two parts. The first with his wife’s name and later the names of his two children were added.
ANSWER: Anthony Curiale
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#2 – This tattoo belongs to one of the most fun and creative people at the horse show and this is the first of two tattoos she let us photograph for this story. One of the most interesting things about this lower back tattoo is the eyes which seem to follow you everywhere.
ANSWER: Hannah Casper
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#3 – “My tattoo says Peace, Love, ASB. I got it shortly after my dear friend, Alex Blackwood passed away. Alex was such an amazing person and made such an impact on me that I wanted to get something to symbolize how much he meant to me. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him and now that I have the tattoo, I constantly have people asking me what it means and I get to share with them how wonderful he was!”
ANSWER: Kyndal Knowles
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#4 – This Florida native showed us his newest tattoo located on his inside forearm. It reads IIWII which stands for ‘It Is What It Is’. “Words to live by,” he told us which is about as philosophical as this guy gets.
ANSWER: Ronnie Casper
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#5 – A recent bout with cancer inspired this inscription on the inside of each of her wrists. A 2008 AQHA Reserve World Championship title later, she’s back in the game.
ANSWER: Whitney Ward
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#6 – “Chewie” (Another Day) was her Hunter Circuit horse from 1990 – 1992. According to this Texan, “Although a great horse, he was a real butt to be around on the ground” so she had her left “cheek” tattooed with his nickname (he liked to chew on her hands). He was nine when she bought him and 32 when he died.
ANSWER: Adria Smith
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#7 – This equine-inspired lower back tattoo belongs to the assistant of one of the most accomplished western pleasure trainers in the business.
ANSWER: Shannon Curl
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#8 – The bearer of this ink asked us to take a picture of her brand new tat which shows her 2009 AQHYA Reserve World Champion daughter’s initials.
ANSWER: Hannah Casper (for her daughter Carly)
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#9 – This tattoo belongs to the fiance of a top western pleasure trainer and a good friend of GoHorseShow.com. In 2000, she celebrated a friend’s 21st birthday at the Vegas horse show. While there, the group all
decided to go get tattoos. They all picked the same one and it means “To win.”
ANSWER: Alicia Kilner
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Float=”left”]/Media/0/jpg/2009/8/52a0f89f-1ec9-b7d0-7666b3072babc3b0.jpg[/NPI]#10 – We wanted to take a picture of her most recognizable tattoo but she
knew that would give it away. This one appears on her left arm and is
the newest addition for the horse show tattoo queen.
ANSWER: Theresa Leighton
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#11 – Located on the inside calf of this native Louisianan, this multi-colored tattoo was inspired by “The Shark” Greg Norman. Its owner can most commonly be found in the show pen at the big pleasure futurities or on the links playing golf.
ANSWER: Charles Cannizzaro
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#12 – These angel wings span across almost the whole width of this North Carolina youth exhibitor’s back. She got them for her best friend Brittany who was killed in a car accident a year and a half ago. “Britt and I used to joke about her being my guardian angel, so the wings represent to me how Brittany is still always with me and watching over me.”
ANSWER: Sarah Ikalowych
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#13 – This Colorado native has a columbine flower on the top of her foot that she “got after a friend of mine was injured during the Columbine High School shootings. It reminds me to stay strong and never give up no matter what is going on.”
ANSWER: Courtney Hollon-Dennis
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Float=”left”]/Media/0/jpg/2009/8/527d9eb2-1ec9-b7d0-7638571e19cd8816.jpg[/NPI]#14 –
An assistant trainer who also resides in the state of Colorado, this right calf tattoo is the
Chinese symbol for the ox because “I was born the year of the ox. It means that you work hard for what you get and you
appreciate all you achieve..other meanings are loyal, reliable,
thorough, strong, reasonable, steady and determined.”
ANSWER: Jeff Burley
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Float=”left”]/Media/0/jpg/2009/8/527d3a5b-1ec9-b7d0-76bc330470b746e2.jpg[/NPI]#15 –
This beautiful blue tattoo resides on the leg of a very accomplished Hunt Seat horse owner and breeder.
ANSWER: Adria Smith
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#16 – The owner of this tat is tan from all the time he spends on his boat fishing. This sail fish ink symbolizes one of his favorite past-times; deep sea fishing.
ANSWER: Ronnie Casper
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#17 – She’s an amateur from North Carolina and was a blank canvas until she went to get a piercing and left with a heart on her left hip instead. It reminds her to “love life no matter what happens throughout it.”
ANSWER: Lauren Blankenship
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#18 – She did a great job blogging for GoHorseShow.com from the Youth World. The initials KML on her wrist represent her half sister, Kendall Maree Lawrence, who passed away in 2001 in a house fire. She told us, “Now she will always be with me.”
ANSWER: Carey Nowacek
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#19 – This Tasmanian devil tattoo is the second one featured for this person and is very appropriate for this New Jersey devil.
ANSWER: Anthony Curiale
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#20 – This amateur all-arounder and Texas native was “scared to death” to get her cute pink and black star in 2003.
ANSWER: Heather Harkey
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#21 – Although no longer in the horse biz, he flew to the Reichert from Ohio to see friends. He had this tribal tattoo on his ankle for over a year before his mom saw it while on a family vacation in Hawaii. Much to his surprise, she liked it! “I was in total shock! It was not the response I was looking for.”
ANSWER: Ben Drushal
